Clutch



Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

1,581,652 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

enonen GUSHING MARTIN; or os ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

, foLU'rcH.

Original application filed August T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonsn GUsHINc MAn'rIma citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Clutch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for connecting and disconnecting" a .shaft with power transmitt ng means.}

Anobjeot of he invention is'to make provision for instant, forcible gripping so as to lnsure posltive' action and to ,do this f with simple, easily operated means.

A feature of the invention the arrangement oftoggle devices operated by a conical wedge member and adapted to cause forcible frictional engagement between friction shoes and a ring member;

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detail description and the appended claims. I

This application is a division of my ap- No. 113,360, filed August plication Serial 5, 1916, for concrete pipe machine, renewed July 31, 1920, Serial No. 400,525, patented September 5,1922,No.1,428,044.'

The accompanying drawing i invention connected to an operating lever for shifting the same. Figure lis a clutch mechanism disclosed in my co-pending application of which this is a division. parts connected Fragments of operating therewith in,,the said pipe machine for change of direction and speed are also shown.;.: a r

Fig. 2 is a fragmental end elevation of one of said clutch devices on a shaft.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevation partly in duplicate clutch devices f respectively, and

llustrates the fragmental elevation of the 5, 1916, Serial No. 113,360. Divided and this application filed April 1:,

1922. Serial No. 552,387.

Said shaft is driven male direction indica't ed'by an arrow in Fig. 2. Separate fllOtlOll-ClutCh mechanism comprising housings 88, 89 are connected to gears 123, 124

adapted to revolve therewlth.

A lever 90 is pivoted at 91 toa cross bar 92 on standard 13. One end'ofsaidlever 1s oscillated by a sleeve 93 that ismOunted on and movable up and down on a trip rod 94 an'dadapted to becrecipr-ocated to oscillate the lever 90., The other end of said 1ever90 is adapted to shift duplicate conical Wedge devices or members 111 and 211 which extend respectively into the adjacent clutch devices 88 and 89. j

The trip rod '94 is mounted in the frame 95 which is secured to the standard 13; said rod 94 is moved up and down by any suitable mechanism not shown, and carriestrip 'blocks 96, 97 betweenwhich and the sleeve 93are helical springs 98, 99 which surround the trip rod 94. The combined lengths of the sleeve 93 and springs 98, 99 is less than the total distance'between the trip blocks 96, 97 so that the upper spring98 is only active during the latter portion of the upward movement of said'rod.

Means are provided to maintain the clutch 1n proper, clutch operating position and comprise a yoke 102 which is secured to the lever and projects a sufficient distance above and below the same to pivotally carry latches 103,104 that are adapted to engage keepers "105, 106 'to alternately hold said lever in its extreme positions. Thejlatches are normally pressed toward the keepers by springs 107, 108 which bear against the outer end of the lever 90 andextend to heel portions formedupon the latches. The trip blocks 96, 97 have adjustable bolts 109, 110

, projecting inwardly therefrom and adapted toalternately strike the heels of said latches whereby said latches will be movedagainst their spring to disconnect them from the keepers. The structure is such that when the trip rod 94 is moved upwardly by any suitable mechanism, not shown, the lower latch will be struck by the bolt 110 andreleased from its keeper permitting the lever 90 to be raised. The spring 99 will have been compressed againstthe sleeve 93 before the release of the latch so that when the latch 104 is released, the spring 99 will throw the lever 90 upwardly with'a posilever is. adapted to move -.the Wedge device .to and fro along theshaft 87,

The friction aor clutch mechanisms are preferably provided .with a central :unit or hub member 115, 215, respectively, each of which is keyed to .the shaft 87. The. hub

@memberof-each clutch mechanism forms a hearing :by avhich its -.cl-utch member is =mou-ntecL on the shaft 87 and -said Lclutch member-is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending arms 11G integrally fixed thereto, each of which is formed with an outwardly directed tapered radial recess 117 the walls .ofywhich are inclined relative to radial lines extending from "the .ZLXlS -Of the shaft 87 through theslQts. In each of said recesses are .mounted toggle members 118, 119, the inner, base, 'orseat members 119 of which are wedgeshaped so-itl' at when 'in place, the inner edges thereof will conform to .the conical wedges 111,211, which are thrust between and againstthem.

The outer member 118 of each toggle device is capable-.of tilting vor swaying laterally of the shaft axis and thereby moving :at its outer end to an extent limited by the walls of the tapered radial recesses 117, vrespectivelyg Said recesses are symmetrically disposed around the shaft. :In ,eachisatog- .gleand its seat member. The toggles are alike and the taper toggle seats are also alike. The outer ends of the toggle members 118 bear againsta group of friction devices intheform-of shoes 120 vwhich. areadapted to. engage the inner periphery of .an outer ring member 121. 'Said shoes 120 are preferably adjacent the ionter open ends of said recesses and. are so made as not to quite conform .to the internal circular periphery of the ring member so :that when :the shoes 1 engage and revolve with the ringmember or housing 88, orr89, the toggles will approach a radial position, they will force the center of the shoes outward .and said .shoes will tightlyqengage the ring member. 'The outer members of the toggledevicesare.normally held .out of clutching position by the .ac tion ofsprings .222 which through the bolts .122 move the toggles 118 out of radialposition.

The outer ring portions of the clutches may be constantly driven by,the,.gears"123 and-1-24 which.are fixed to the hubs of the,

clutch ;1nembe1*s ;.an'd are adapted to mesh with appropriate gears when the machine isimoperationgas will be understood from the drawing.

lVhen one of the wedge cones 111 is forced "into the cup or socket of the central unit .115 it pushes outwardly the wedge-shaped take firm hold upon the ring'f12'1 and to move therewith. 'lWhen the :eonical wedge 111 is withdrawn from the center of the clutch mechanism by "the movement of "lever90it will release'the inner wedge-shaped toggle pieces1 19 and permit the-toggles to tilt in the. recesses 1 17' thus 'to' release the shoes 12.0 from the ring'121.

When the other conical wedge-I211 is forcedby the lever 90 into its clutch'mechanism, thefg'ear 124 will be driven byfsaid wedge. 'The two conical wedgeszarezso related to the seats thereforin thecliitc'hdevices that only one can be 'operatingits clutch ata time,the other one "'havingbbeen at the same time caused to'release its'cl-utch device. The use of the'slioes 120 bearing upon the inner frictional surface of'thering member forms avery "effective clutch device clutch comprising :a group of friction -de-" vices as the shoes 120, arranged aroundoenin combination With toggle devices 1 18, 1 19 for each of saidfriction"devices to engage the shoes" and ringsas-des'ired and the parts are constructed 'andi'arrangedso that when a group of "shoes are "engaged with their respective 'ring that 'irotation' of "the shaft will aid in holdingthe' parts in clutching engagement to produce 'maximized pres sure of the shoes against the rings; and'that such pressure "is instantly relieved by Withdrawal 'ofithe central supporting member; I claim. A 7

'1. The clutchfcomprising .a central memberhavin-g outwardly taperedrecesses shoes external to said recesses a ring external 'to said shoes and adapted toi'be'engage'd, thereby; toggles normally inclined "-in said 're cesses; and means to move said toggles to one'that is quickly and ea ilyp t d,- d*

force the shoes against the ring so that relafor the toggles; awedge adapted to act upon tive rotation of ring and central member said bases to force the toggles outward, and will sway the toggles from inclined toward an operating lever connected to said wedge radial positionsand vice versa. and adapted and arranged to move said 5 2. The combination with a central memwedge into and out of engagement with said 15 her having outwardly directed recesses; togbases. gles in the recesses of said member; of shoes In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set adjacent said recesses and engaging said my hand at Los Angeles California, this toggles; a ring around said shoes and adapt- 8th day of April 1922.

1 ed to be engaged thereby; wedge-like bases GEORGE CUSHING MARTIN. 

